A World Of Nothing
by LivingDaLife
Summary: Because the only thing scarier to him than having his own body betray him was living in a world where his body never existed in the first place. Au-ish. Set after the events of New Prince of Tennis (in fact, we're glossing over their existence entirely). YukimuraxOC. Rated for swearing and sensitive subjects. Multiple Pairings. Warning: horribly written, please don't read
1. A World Of Hallucinations

**A/N Hey, this is my first multi-chapter fanfic on here, so please go easy on me! In this story, I'm assuming that the tournaments in high school will have the same format of the middle school tournaments, so the order of the tournament would be: Kanagawa district tournament (since this is Rikkai Dai and all), the Kanagawa Prefecturals, the Kantou Regionals, and then Nationals. I'm also assuming that the high school tennis season occurs the same time as the middle school tennis season tournaments. Logically that makes no sense, but since this is fanfiction, it can and will make sense. Also, both high school and middle have three years only, since _most_ third years are 15 and it makes no sense for a senior in high school to be 19. And last of all, I've only watched the anime, and I only do basic research on background and stuff, so if something's inaccurate or something of the sort, don't hesitate to criticize me in the comments! XD I'm new to this style of writing, so please bear that in mind while you keep reading.**

 **I won't keep you for long, so please enjoy!**

 **Warnings: blindness, relatively mild language, some suggestive jokes, basic pubescent angst, possible unintentional OOCness...what else can I say?**

 **Pairings: YukimuraxOC, probably others that I'll throw in later**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I could be lounging in my private island in the Caribbeans eating a lifetime's supply of chocolate under an hour while reading _Throne of Glass_ , but since I'm not, I guess that also means that I don't own PoT, unfortunately.**

* * *

 _i A World Of Hallucinations i_

For the first time since the beginning of the school year, the courts are silent apart from the harsh, grating breathing of the tennis regulars and the constant thumping of tennis balls on the court. Yukimura Seiichi, as always, stands outside the tennis courts, his jersey draped atop his shoulders like a heavy shawl, his sharp eyes catching on the forms and figures of those who interest him, quickly analyzing and comparing mentally before either rejecting or accepting. Sanada regulates the training of the first years in Court D while Yanagi oversees the non-regulars, often stopping a match in order to correct something, all while furiously taking data down in an inconspicuous leather bound book.

The fangirls that are usually accompanied with a frenzy of screams, chatter, and fainting spells are absent-thankfully. Not even Niou, who everyone unanimously agrees has the largest ego when it comes to the tennis regulars' appeal to the opposite sex, mourns their loss. The Kanagawa high school district preliminaries are coming up in a week. Despite the fact that Rikkai Dai usually sweeps the standings, no questions asked, not one person feels the need to slack off.

Then again, that may be due to their buchou's far too bright and angelic smile, their fukubuchou's permanent _I-hate-the-world_ scowl and loud (read: deafening) "TARUNDORU," and Yanagi's constantly scratching pencil-though, to be honest, that happens every day, but for some reason, today of all days, the sound scares all of the tennis club members out of their wits.

The regulars sans Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi practice on Court A in pairs or groups of four, playing singles and doubles, the weights strapped to their wrists and ankles visible and glistening in the sunlight. Normally, wordy exchanges and cackling laughter characterize their practice matches (after all, it's nearly impossible to keep oneself from making fun of Kirihara Akaya once or twice or one hundred times), but today, just as with the rest of the club, the regulars keep quiet, serious looks gracing even the faces of those who rarely ever feel an ounce of such a lackluster emotion.

It's another day at Rikkai Dai High in April, the blossoming sakura petals rustling softly in the light breezes that, fortunately, haven't yet evolved into full-blown gales that would push and pull the furiously spinning balls around in unappreciated directions, the sun shining ambivalently down on the sweating tennis players' backs from a clear blue sky, and any sane person at home, in bed, unless they happen to be disturbingly attached sports fanatics.

Well. There's nothing wrong about that last point, though,

Yanagi notices her first, his sharp, observant eyes (ironic, considering that he keeps them closed all the time) catching sight of the silent wraith leaning against one of the ridiculous, blossom-laden cherry trees bordering the school and, by default, the tennis courts that are only separated from said school by a few feet or so of pavement. He contemplates what to do the next few moments, abandoning his current task of obsessively watching and noting the non-regulars in order to focus most, if not all (at least 83.278399995%, which he amazingly manages to calculate even while already splitting his focus between the problem at hand and the non-regulars who are currently breathing sighs of relief at not having to face Yanagi's constant corrections), of his attention on the lone girl standing against the sakura tree beyond the fences.

Yanagi approaches the problem the way he does most problems-beginning by laying down all the facts, categorizing them, analyzing them, and then finally coming to a conclusion.

1) As it is currently seven in the morning, most students will be in their clubs (if they happen to have a meeting before school as well), another area of the school that requires their undivided attention, or at home, tucked nicely into their beds.

2) Despite the previous fact, fangirls and fanboys always mange to surround the tennis courts during both morning and afternoon practices, finding some way or another to disrupt practice, either intentionally or unintentionally.

3) Today is one of the rare days in which the tennis club is free of such harassment-ahem, an admiring audience.

4) Yanagi himself has never expressed an interest in onlookers, yet this particular onlooker has managed to divert his attention-possibly only a small portion, but his attention all the same-from his duties to the tennis club.

Yanagi finds himself rather troubled by the last point. It is true that he has never once, not once in his entire seventeen years of life, shown any interest in anyone other than to gather data, but something beyond the simple, natural drive to gather as much data as possible compels him to find out more about the girl.

It's hard to discern her features through the chain-link fence, and factoring in the distance between the two as well as Yanagi's closed eyes, it's no wonder that he almost dismisses her figure as a figment of his imagination-except for the fact that he doesn't hallucinate, he doesn't create misleading images that tricks his fact-oriented mind into believing that those very images are real, not Yanagi Renji.

Yanagi Renji, the Data Master, one of the Three Demons of Rikkai-he doesn't make things up, he doesn't create unrealistic fantasies out of thin air and drop them into reality.

So instead of diverting his attention from said supposed "figment of his imagination" (impossible, he doesn't believe it), Yanagi snaps his data book shut and leaves the court, heading towards Yukimura, who hasn't seemed to notice the girl's presence, even though he is the closest to her.

Yukimura doesn't know why Yanagi has headed out of his designated court, and that is what puts the Child of God on the defensive as Yanagi walks directly up to him, his data book clenched menacingly in his hand. Still, Yukimura keeps his serene smile, gazing at yanagi with gentle yet inquiring eyes. "Renji."

"Seiichi, there is someone watching us."

Yukimura reigns in his surprise, turning around to follow Yanagi's line of sight. His eyes widen upon landing on the object of Yanagi's attention. He hadn't even noticed her.

From this distance, Yanagi can more easily see the girl. She leans against the trunk of a tree right next to the side door set in the school that faces opposite of the heavy gate that opens into Court A, where the regulars continue to practice, oblivious to what is currently occurring between their buchou and teammate. Her hair is a deep, dark brown that easily blends in with the color of the cherry blossom tree's trunk. So common, yet uncommon at the same time, in a place where black and other strange, seemingly unnatural hair colors predominate. Her face is currently turned away from the two, facing the tennis court in front of her, so they cannot make out her facial features, though they see that she is wearing street clothes (a simple blue top paired with a pair of shorts that look all too familiar to the tennis players) and, despite her delicate structure, has the obvious signs of being athletic-toned arms and legs, a fit body, bronzed skin that only results from hours under the boiling sun (much as how the tennis club members are spending their time right now), and lean muscles lining her bare arms and calves. It isn't that much of a jump to assume that this girl who doesn't seem to be squealing, fainting, or expressing any characteristics reminiscent of the fangirls the tennis regulars are far too familiar with is an avid tennis player as well.

Yukimura turns around and continues to watch his regulars practice. His curiosity hasn't been sated-in fact, it has only just started to grow hungry, but he pushes it aside to evenly reply to Yanagi, "Renji, I do appreciate your concern over such a bystander, but if the girls who usually watch our practice are allowed to stay, I see no reason to take action against someone who has not even disrupted practice."

Yanagi resists the urge to frown, flashing one more glance towards the girl before turning back to face Yukimura. "But, Seiichi, I do not think that-"

"Renji, will still have half an hour of practice left. Any further enquires or comments you have to make will have to wait until after practice. Do not forget that the district tournaments are coming up soon."

Yanagi bites back the first rebellious words that he has ever thought of since meeting Yukimura five years ago, in their first year of middle school, when the Child of God first made it extremely clear that he had the power, the control. His sudden mutinous attitude shocks him, and, in an attempt to regain his composure, he nods stiffly before turning and heading back to his court without a word of goodbye. Yukimura frowns at the Data Master's back but doesn't say anything, instead pushing the conversation aside in favor of picking up his racket from its position leaning against the fence and heading into Court A.

He feels a sudden urge to play tennis.

Unbeknownst to either Data Master or Child of God, the girl leaning against the cherry blossom tree finally turns her head towards where the two had been standing just moment before, the eternal smile on her face widening just a fraction.

 _Maa, what an interesting team, ne?_

* * *

Practice ends, and the non-regulars and first years are the first to leave. The Three Demons of Rikkai stay behind to squeeze in some extra practice. After all, without an official coach (even in high school, the Rikkai Dai tennis team has no coach), Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi ended up taking up the job of training the other tennis members, but that means that they often have to use their free time to stay in tip top shape and to develop even further.

Then again, that doesn't bother them, because even without the extra duties of running the entire team, they would've spent their free time practicing anyways.

The other regulars also decide to stay behind, as they have nothing else productive to do. All of the regulars manage to arrange themselves across the four courts within Court A. The heavy, serious atmosphere from before has faded now that the regulars are by themselves, and light chatter and laughter begins to fill the air. It certainly helps that most people have begun to enter the school by now, though, once again fortunately, most find no need to come and surround the tennis courts to watch the regulars practice.

Yanagi and Yukimura have not forgotten about their strange visitor. Despite the fact that the non-regulars have already left and that practice is technically over, she still stands under that tree, intently facing Court A. Obviously, she is here for a reason, a reason that most likely has something to do with the regulars. Yanagi glances at Yukimura, silently asking him a question, to which Yukimura merely shakes his head in response.

Repressing the frown that seems insistent on making an appearance, Yanagi picks up his racket and begins to play a mock match against Kirihara, giving more power to his balls than usual.

When the regulars finally decide to end their extra practice as classes are about to begin soon, they quickly clean up, the small competition between Niou, Maruis, and Kirihara over who can get the most balls into the basket by serving multiple balls simultaneously helping them clear the court faster than usual.

Only once the regulars leave the court and turn left to head towards the clubroom and lockers do the other six regulars finally discover the wraith-like girl leaning against a sakura tree.

"AHHHHH!" the Moron Trio scream, though Niou quickly cuts his shriek short, discreetly glancing around to see if anyone noticed. He winces upon seeing Yagyuu's raised eyebrow.

"Who're you!" Kirihara barks, bounding towards the girl, an aggravated look on his face, causing his eyebrows to pull downwards and scrunching his face up in a way that would terrify most people. The girl merely turns her head towards the source of the voice, causing half of the regulars to gasp (the other half are either too stoic or too unfazed to be surprised).

Her face is all sharp angles and no soft curves, with high, defined cheekbones and a jawline that looks like it can grate cheese. Her nose is thinner than normal, and tapered at the end. The thing that catches their attentions the most, however, are her eyes, which are closed, lidded the way Yanagi's and Fuji Syuusuke's eyes are, and the small, polite smile pasted to her face, twisting her lips in a way that looks both natural and unnatural.

Everyone immediately looks at Yukimura, whose own cool, serene smile hasn't diminished at all upon finally seeing the strange visitor's face.

The sound of rustling draws their attention and they turn to look back at the girl once more, only to find that the spot where she once stood is now empty.

A figment of their imaginations?

Not a chance.

* * *

 **And that is a wrap! Hope you guys liked it, if you do, don't forget to rate and review and follow! I have no set update schedule for this story (tbh, I don't even have an outline for this-I know, shocker, a writer who goes with the flow), so...**

 **Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!**

 **Never (LivingDaLife)**


	2. A World Of Introductions

**A/N Hey, what's up, 2nd chapter, whoop! Again, as I said in the first chapter, I don't particularly have a plan or outline for this story, so updates will be random...I have inspiration for this story right now, and that's why there's an update so soon, but...yeah.**

 **THANK YOU TIME TO:** sunlightxiii **for favoriting and following, as well as** Lura Elsworth **and** Neverland's Kitsune X **for following!**

 **Warnings: blindness, relatively mild language, some suggestive jokes, basic pubescent angst, possible unintentional OOCness, sensitive topics, possible unintentional Mary Sueness, mentions of yaoi...what else can I say?**

 **Pairings: YukimuraxOC, possible pairings later on (anyone want to suggest anything? I'm pretty open-ended, both yaoi and non-yaoi)**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah, have the girl who thinks climbing up one flight of stairs is considered "exercise" own an anime about buff boys who take tennis so seriously, they'd rather die than never be able to play it again. Ha ha ha, funny joke.**

* * *

 _ii A World Of Introductions ii_

After the regulars of Rikkai Dai High's boys' tennis team finally manage to shake some sense into their heads, they rush towards the clubroom, their previously intended destination before they were deterred. Having stayed behind for some extra practice, they have already cut into their passing period significantly, and standing around contemplating the existence of a wraith-like girl surely won't do much to help them when explaining to their teachers why they're late.

Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi share mostly the same classes with some variations (Yukimura and Sanada take art while Yanagi takes an extra period of advanced math), so the three head out together, a comfortable silence falling between them, though their thoughts are nothing but comfortable.

Yanagi spends the one-minute walk from the clubroom to their first period class wondering about the girl who, without a trace, managed to escape not only him, but Yukimura, Sanada, and, most impressive of all, Niou. The senior may not act it at all times, but his observation skills are among the sharpest Yanagi has ever had the pleasure of witnessing. It's not often that something manages to escape the attention of the Trickster of Rikkai Dai, especially not, even Yanagi must admit, a girl as physically attractive as her.

Though, for the past few years, Yanagi has been calculating the odds of his fellow teammates and tennis players having a sexual preference for the same gender. To be perfectly honest, Yanagi himself has even calculated for himself a 23% chance of himself being gay, a 15.5% chance of himself being straight, a 60% chance of himself being bi, and a 1.5% chance of himself being asexual. Yukimura he understands as 100% straight, though the numbers tend to fluctuate at that point, and Sanada is 100% gay and 100% attached-to whom, though, even Yanagi has no clue of.

While Yanagi continues to digress upon his digression, wandering off into a land full of numbers and pictures of his various friends holding hands with each other intimately, Yukimura muses on this morning's interruption. He, other than Yanagi and Sanada, was the only one who wasn't disturbed by the girl's closed eyes and naturally unnatural smile. Rather than the fact that she arranges her face in that way, what bothers him is the reason why she does so.

Or rather, his lack of knowledge about the reason behind why she does so.

He wants to know why she has frozen her face in the way that Fuji Syuusuke has. Ever since his team's crushing defeat at Seigaku's hands in the middle school national finals three years ago and following the events of the U-17 camp, Fuji and Yukimura have gotten closer, even to the point at which, if pressured lightly, they'd be willing to admit that they consider the other as a reluctant "friend." They've gotten close enough to talk to each other about personal matters, and one of those personal matters just happens to be the reason behind Fuji's mask.

If her reason parallels his, Yukimura would feel...

Well, not as indifferent as he would otherwise.

Sanada, on the other hand, contrary to what Yanagi and Yukimura are mulling over, ruminates solely upon the fact that he needs to refill his prescription for pain killers.

The three manage to reach their classroom just in time, slipping into their seats just as the teacher walks into the room and class starts.

Setting her pile of papers and coffee mug on top of her table, their teacher, Mrs. Tsukuda (called "sensei" or "tsuku-chan" in class due to some weird hatred of rice), swipes a purple whiteboard marker from its spot lying innocently in the metal tray framing the bottom of the board, and writes a series of characters on the board.

"We have a new transfer student coming in from America. She just moved in a couple days ago, and since she missed a few weeks of school, I'd like you all to be nice to her and to not give her a reason to hate Japan."

Yukimura chuckles internally as a few students blanch from Tsuku-sensei's blatant glare, amethyst eyes glistening with amusement. _I think I already have an idea on who this "transfer student" is._

"Come in." Tusku-sensei calls, and everyone turns their heads towards the sliding doors of the classroom. Once they open, Sanada and Yanagi straighten immediately upon seeing who stands at the threshold while Yukimura only laughs again-this time, out loud. _Saa...of course._

The wraith-like girl from before steps into the room, somehow making such a common action seem exquisite and mesmerizing. She slowly moves towards the front of the classroom (how could she have disappeared so fast if she moves this slowly?) and stops right next to Tsuku-sensei who, if anyone bothered to pay attention to her, wears a surprised, shocked look on her face.

Yukimura calmly takes in his teacher's reaction before returning his attention to the girl standing in front of his class. She's still wearing her street clothes, and Tsuku-sensei snaps out of her frozen trance for a moment in order to tell the girl something-probably a reprimand about her not following the school's guidelines. The girl responds, and Yukimura watches with interest as Tsuku-sensei's features are overtaken with sympathy and pity.

He has a feeling that if the girl were to see that expression, she wouldn't be smiling the way she is now.

"Yoroshiku (1)," she says shortly, her voice much like her gait-smooth and slow, as if the world runs at her own pace. "I am Angela Hendrickson. Since I've only recently transferred from America, it would preferable if you would address me using my first name without any honorifics. Otherwise, I may not respond, and I can't have you thinking that I'm ignoring you, now, can I?" When she laughs, a few other people laugh, but Yukimura can sense the rather sarcastic, ironic undertone in her voice, and his smile only widens. "And for that same reason, I will most likely address you with a shortened version of your first name without any honorifics. I find it easier that way. Do you have any questions?"

It's almost as if she's only talking to one person, Yukimura notes, with the way her eyes are closed and her head faces directly forward. She also doesn't use any plural pronouns, with no inclusive or collective pronouns either.

A girl at the front of the classroom raises her hand, and Tsuku-sensei is the one who calls on her. "Honda-chan?"

Why not Angela herself?

"Hendrick-oh, sorry, I mean, Angela, where in America are you from?"

Angela turns her head slightly towards the voice, and Yukimura's eyes widen slightly. _No way..._

"I was born in Tallahassee, Florida, but my family moved to New York when I was two. From then on, I was constantly on the move, and the longest time I've spent in one place was in a small town in California called Pleasanton, where I spent about four years for my last two years of middle school and my first two years of high school."

"Wow..." Honda breathes, awe-struck at the fact that the girl currently standing in front of her has lived in so many different places.

A few more hands shoot up, and Tsuku-sensei once again calls on someone-this time, a boy sitting in the aisle bordering the windows. "Himura-kun?"

"Are you single?"

A few laughs and titters follow the boy's bold proclamation as a slight smirk twists his lips up, though not because he's so self-assured in gaining a positive response, but rather because he's stolen the spotlight from someone once again.

Angela lets out a soft laugh that immediately brings all attention back to her. Her face is pointed in the general direction of Himura, and by now, Yukimura has enough evidence to support his theory. "Yes, I am single, and no, I am not looking for anyone. Even if I was, I would not be looking at you, Himura-kun." A slight mocking edge enters her voice as she sings his name, the smile on her face slightly bigger than before.

Himura flushes slightly, sliding down in his chair as the small laughs and titters from before turn into a deafening uproar. Not even Tsuku-sensei can keep her lips from twitching slightly in amusement, while Yukimura only keeps his eyes on Angela, having detected the bitter double meaning behind her words. _Word games, ne...how interesting_.

In the midst of all the chaos, Yukimura raises his hand, his bright, angelic smile surfacing. Tsuku-sensei immediately catches sight of his hand and she pales slightly at the sight of his smile. "...Y-Yukimura-kun?"

At the sound of his name coming from her lips, everyone else immediately quiets down, turning around to stare at the Child of God. Yukimura rarely ever raises his hand in class, and on the rare occasion he _does_ , it is only to gently correct the teacher-either he/she spelled something wrong, or wrote the wrong equation, or came to the wrong conclusion.

Suffice it to say, whenever Yukimura raises his hand in class, the teachers pray that the mistake they made wasn't absolutely horrendous and irredeemable while the students settle in for the show of a lifetime.

"Angela, why do you keep your eyes closed?"

An innocently worded question saturated with an innocent tone with not so innocent intentions.

Angela slowly turns her head towards him, and Yukimura keeps his eyes steady on her closed eyelids, waiting. The tension in the room grows stifling, so thick that not even Sanada, the ever socially oblivious block of wood, can ignore it.

Angela's smile widens slightly with razor intensity and, inch-by-inch, her lashes slowly sweep up to reveal her eyes.

Even though Yukimura knows what to expect, nothing can prepare him for actually seeing her eyes.

The first thing he notices about them is their startling color-silver, he realizes with some degree of surprise, a silver that glows in a way that reflects the fire inside of her. To be honest, her eyes remind Yukimura of Echizen, if not because of the similarity in the metallic colors of their irises, then the similarity in the silent defiance in those eyes, challenging and analyzing every movement he makes.

That is, her eyes _would_ be challenging and analyzing him if they could actually _see_.

It's painfully obvious to Yukimura the moment she opens her eyes, the way they're slightly glazed and unfocused, stormy and unclear the way a normal person's eyes never are. She does a good job of not letting them roll around, never resting on a certain spot for more than a few seconds, but since he's looking so closely at her features, he can read the minute actions of her facial muscles, including the slight twitching of her eyes, as if they're yearning to roam around unbidden, but she's keeping them on a metaphorical leash.

Still, despite their obvious blindness, her eyes smolder with a light that brings a unique, mesmerizing beauty, much like she, herself, does.

"I am blind."

* * *

Yukimura finds out that Angela is surprisingly smart.

Okay, so maybe her intelligence really isn't all that surprising. She seems to be the type of person who doesn't have to work too hard in order to excel, which is a quality that, while it may piss many people off, is actually quite admirable.

After all, a person who doesn't have to work too hard in order to excel will work hard in order to reach the top, right?

Tsuku-sensei eventually ends up moving Honda out of her seat, into the empty one beside Yukimura. Angela would have sat there, but because she's blind, Tsuku-sensei had reservations about forcing the girl to walk down an aisle full of bags and legs that can easily trip her up.

Yukimura can tell that Angela is rather annoyed at the underestimation of her abilities to get around just fine despite her disability, but since Honda obviously has no reservations against moving out of her seat and into the one next to Yukimura (even if she can't see Honda's flushed face and glowing smile, Angela can certainly hear the jealous mumblings of the other girls in class and Honda's own hyperventilation), Angela decides against pursuing the topic and instead drops gracefully into the chair.

One thing that occupies the back of Yukimura's mind throughout the entirety of first period is a question on how the girl moves around. Being blind, a doctor should've given her a walking cane, or an aide of some sort, so why is she walking around without assistance with her eyes closed and lips curved in a permanent smile? Though, after seeing her with her eyes opened, Yukimura has a good idea s to why Angela keeps her eyelids swept down.

Going back to his previous concern, how is Angela able to walk if she isn't able to see what is in front of her? The only probable explanation as to how she's able to walk as a normal person (albeit a bit slower and much more gracefully) is that she's sharpened her other senses (especially her sense of hearing) to the point that she can use them as a supplement to sight.

If that's the case, then she really is a _tensai_ in her own right.

When first period is over, the usual hustle and bustle of passing period fills the air, while in this class, Angela is surrounded by her classmates. As Tsuku-sensei packs up and quietly slips out of the room, half of the class gathers around Angela, bombarding her with questions left and right.

Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi gather at Yukimura's desk at the back of the classroom, watching the spectacle in front of them with varying emotions.

Yukimura feels amused, Sanada feels more than a little sympathetic towards the poor girl who's currently buried under a pile of screaming unevolved primates, and Yanagi feels more curious than ever, even as he scribbles data down in his precious data book.

This is the scene that the next teacher walks in on, hair slightly tousled, looking more than a little harried. He blinks at the high school orgy occurring in the front row before turning his inquisitive gaze towards the only people who seem to be in their right minds.

Yukimura only smiles winningly at him, waving a dismissive hand at the rambunctious group in front of him.

Deciding that he rather likes his reputation as it is, the teacher heeds Yukimura's implied advice and drops his materials on top of the table, drawing all attention towards him.

"Let's start class today, we have a lot of material to cover, so I would like it if you would all sit down and not waste anymore time."

As everyone scrambles towards their seats, Yukimura lets his gaze rest on Angela. As if sensing the weight of his eyes, she turns her head to face him directly.

Despite the fact that she can't see him, he shoots her the brightest, most angelic smile in his arsenal.

 _Saa, looks like you owe me now, Angie-chan._

* * *

 **(1) Informal way of saying "nice to meet you"**

 **LOL, I know, most random ending ever. Anyways, now you know who the mystery girl is! And you also know that she's blind, although I'm sure that some people guessed that before.**

 **Anyways, yeah, please comment whatever pairings you want! Again, I'm pretty open-ended, I'm fine with yaoi or non-yaoi (even though I don't particularly like the girls in PoT, they just have no dignity or shame whatsoever except for An, and An's just used as some sort of filler to create comic relief or cheap tension, which really isn't what I'm looking for in this story). In this chapter, I've mentioned that Sanada is gay, but not who he likes. If there's anyone you want to pair him up with, tell me in the comments!**

 **Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!**

 **Never (LivingDaLife)**


	3. A World of Connections

**A/N Chapter 3 is up! Also, I kinda suck at describing tennis matches, so...please bear with me. Also, sorry for not updating in, like, what, two weeks or so? Kinda had no inspiration for it, but have no fear, here is a longer than usual chapter to make up for it!**

 **Also, be warned, an _EXPLOSION_ of OCs is coming your way. Hope you don't mind!**

 **THANK YOU TIME TO:** NightmareNyxGrim **for favoriting!**

 **Warnings:** **blindness, relatively mild language, some suggestive jokes, basic pubescent angst, possible unintentional OOCness, sensitive topics, possible unintentional Mary Sueness, mentions of yaoi...what else can I say?**

 **Pairings: YukimuraxOC (are there any pairings you guys want? Sanadax? has to be male, since I mentioned that in the last chappie)**

 **Disclaimer: Any sports anime written by me would be like "he hit the ball...he won the game." So, no, I don't own the 178 episode anime and way more than 178 chapter manga, I'm assuming.**

* * *

 _iii A World Of Connections iii_

Lunch comes and Yukimura is amused to note that Angela has disappeared from the classroom before her classmates can get ahold of her. Several girls and boys express their frustration at having allowed her to run away from them.

"Gah, she's not here!"

"And I wanted to get to know her better!"

"I bet if she's lived in America, she knows a lot of things!"

"Kyaa! I bet she's had a boyfriend before!"

"Boyfriend? I bet she's already done... _it_."

"Huh?"

"You know... _it_."

"I don't get what you're trying to-"

"I wonder if she knows anybody rich!"

"Did she live in Hollywood? I would _die_ if I ever got to live in Hollywood!"

"Why doesn't she want to talk to us?"

"Baka, didn't you see how annoyed she was?"

"Annoyed? Not really, she won't open her eyes or anything..."

"Actually, she reminds me a bit of Yukimura-san..."

Slowly, conversation dwindles as everyone realizes the truth in that last statement. Yukimura's smile only widens as head begin to turn towards him, probing eyes and burning gazes directed at him. Deciding that keeping the tense, awkward silence is more amusing than it is uncomfortable, he merely stands and glides (literally, he _glides_ ) out of the classroom, quickly followed by Sanada and Yanagi (the former more because he doesn't want to spend any more time with the non-tennis obsessed idiots surrounding him than needed, the latter because his calculations tell him that something interesting might occur if he follows Yukimura's lead).

Yukimura unhesitatingly turns right, heading down the hallway as he nods respectfully in response to the enthusiastic waves and greetings directed at him by his schoolmates. As it is currently lunch break for all the seniors, many students are roaming the hallways, talking and laughing with each other.

If there's one thing he knows about Angela, it's that she doesn't seem to enjoy crowds too much. As a blind new girl, there aren't many places she can go to if she wants solitude, much less places that she can find using only four of her main sensory systems.

Even now, there is only one that Yukimura can logically think of, which is the place he is heading as of now.

Descending several flights of stairs, Yukimura enters the West Wing of Rikkai Dai High, dedicated towards the extracurriculars and electives. He comes across his destination and pauses for a moment, cocking his head towards the door, in order to listen.

Most people during lunch here head towards the cafeteria, the rooftop, or the fields outside. A good number often stay inside their classrooms as well, and others disperse throughout random rooms within the school.

The West Wing is often avoided. In comparison to sports, the other extracurriculars just aren't as popular. Music and the visual arts do rather well in Rikkai Dai, naturally placing first in nationals every season, but...

Other activities suffer.

Including this one.

Without preamble, Yukimura pushes open the double doors, making sure that Sanada has a good grip on it before letting go.

As always, the area is as noisy as ever, the whirring fans as a result of the ventilation throughout the whole school practically deafening in here. The lighting and circuitry also hum softly, fading into a static background noise that only contributes to the quiet din.

And Angela stands directly in center stage, head turned up, hands clasped behind her back. Yukimura has the sneaking suspicion that she knew he had been looking for her long before he even set foot inside the dilapidated black box theatre. For that reason, he clears his throat and gently asks, "Hendrickson-san, how are you doing?"

Angela doesn't move. She doesn't even so much as twitch. It's almost as if she hadn't heard him at all. If not for the sense of a connection Yukimura feels towards her, he would almost believe her.

But he doesn't.

"Hendrickson-san, when a person asks a question, it's common courtesy to answer."

Angela, once again, doesn't respond or react to Yukimura's light taunting, and at that point, Yukimura decides that he has had his fun and makes his way farther into the room, walking around the perimeter towards the stairs on the side of the stage. Once he climbs on, he stops right next to her, unabashedly observing her.

After a long, pregnant silence, Yukimura finally speaks up again. "Hendrickson-san, are you just going to keep on ignoring me?"

Ignore.

"Hendrickson-san, that's a bit rude, don't you think?"

Ignore.

"Hendrickson-san, how do you like this school so far? How does Japan compare to America?"

Ignore.

"Hendrickson-san, do you enjoy theatre?"

At that point, her head swings towards him so quickly, it's an achievement that she hadn't gotten whiplash.

Her eyes are still closed, but her aura glows with a sort of expectancy that she somehow manages to convey without the use of her physical body. Still, she doesn't speak, but that doesn't really matter.

Not when they've reached an understanding. Language, after all, isn't the only means of communication, of expressing oneself.

The two of them are more familiar with that fact than anyone should ever be.

"Do you play tennis?"

A nod, a brighter smile.

"Would you like to watch the regulars play from inside of the cage?"

A more fervent nod, a wider smile.

"After school, then."

No response, except for a whispered, "Thank you."

* * *

Yukimura finds himself looking towards the end of classes more than usual. Even though his attention never wavers from the teachers' lectures (and never from the chance of catching one off guard), he finds himself shooting glances towards the clock hanging from the wall above the white board, counting down the seconds until the minute hand strikes twelve and he, Sanada, Yanagi, and Angela can head down to the tennis courts.

When classes finally end, Yukimura calmly begins to pack up, watching in amusement as Angela once again disappears in a flash. Really, it's a mystery how she manages to move so fast despite having such a smooth, lazy gait.

"Aww, she disappeared again."

"I was so looking forward to talking to her."

"Maybe she's just shy..."

"But she totally owned Himura-kun! And she doesn't seem shy at all...after all, she looked directly at Yukimura-sama without fainting! Kyaa!"

"Well, she's blind."

"Wait...do you think that it's a sickness?"

"My dad told me that he once read an English book where blindness spread like a disease..."

"Eww! Like, anemia or something!"

"Baka, anemia is a genetic disorder! Blindness is like hemophilia! OMG, what if it spreads through blood?"

"Ew, ew, ew! Honda-chan, you're disgusting!"

Even Yukimura, a boy with the patience of a saint, can't help but feel the slight beginnings of irritation stirring inside of him as he continues to eavesdrop-ahem, listen to his classmates' chatter.

The educational system here could certainly use some work.

Finally finished with packing up, Yukimura stands, sliding his tennis bag over his shoulder. Luckily, his schoolwork isn't too heavy today, so he has no need for stopping by his locker before heading directly towards the courts. Sanada and Yanagi fall in step with him as they sweep out of the room, leaving it full of silent, lovesick teenagers.

As the Three Demons of Rikkai Dai walk down the hallways, Yukimura finally speaks up. "Ne, Yanagi, what are the chances that she'll show up?"

Without even snapping open his data book, the Data Master answers, "100%."

Sanada only observes his captain and friend silently, wondering just what about this girl interests the Child of God so much. Yes, she's blind. Yes, she seems to play tennis. Yes, she's a bit different from other girls her age.

Yet what could possibly be so alluring about her?

The three leave the school building and move towards the courts. Already, the familiar sounds of tennis balls hitting the ground echo through the air, resonating within their ears. They were lucky this year, that they managed to gain so many gifted, dedicated players. Even before the buchou and fukubuchou have arrived, all the other members are already practicing.

Though the reason why soon reveals itself.

A group of girls are gathered near the gate. Yukimura immediately identifies them as Rikkai Dai's girl's tennis regulars. Seven of the only girls in the entire school who aren't airheads who spend their time mooning over the tennis regulars, they have all long since garnered respect and awe from the boy's tennis team.

"Ah, konnichiwa, Aiko-san." Yukimura comes to a stop in front of the girls, politely waiting for them to turn around and address him. A few of them continue to watch, but that fact doesn't bother him all too much.

In all honesty, he's never been much of a stickler for rules or what modern society considers "politeness" and "common courtesy." If he were, well, that would make him a bit of a hypocrite, wouldn't it?

Kita Aiko. A girl of average height, slightly above average looks, and a striking aura that doesn't allow her to be ignored, Kita excels in almost everything that she dabbles in. As befitting of a student of Rikkai Dai's prestigious accelerated program, Kita is the second daughter of the one of the largest transnational corporation's board of representatives-Kita Hinata, a trans woman and Kita ni Ikeda Hitomi, a UN woman's rights ambassador. Her entire lineage is full of impressive individuals who accomplished impressive things-and, as a result, Kita herself has been feeling the pressure of being perfect since preschool.

Yet even with all these constraints pushed upon her, Kita has never once doubted who she is, and what she wants, and for that, she has even managed to gain Yukimura's own respect.

Kita nods politely to Yukimura in return. "Konnichiwa, Seiichi. I am sorry to bother you. My teammates and I were wondering if you would be willing to spare some time to have a few impromptu practice matches. We wish to show the rest of the club what is expected of them."

 _And joining only to fangirl over the boy's tennis regulars is not what we're looking for_ is the implied, unstated information.

Yukimura's smile widens and he nods graciously. "Of course. I have no problems with that. Renji?"

Yanagi nods, continuing to scribble in his data book. "I have no problems either, Seiichi. As an additional benefit, Angela would be able to see the best of both teams. I have a feeling that showing her what we are fully capable of would be a good idea."

Sanada raises an eyebrow. _Renji too? What is it about you that makes you so special, Angela Hendrickson?_ "I have no problems with it either, then."

Yukimura lightly claps his hands together. The clap is quiet, but the courts immediately fall silent, all eyes turning towards the buchou and the girls standing near the gate. "Regulars, please gather in Court A now. All non-regulars and first-years are welcome to continue practicing or to watch us play impromptu practice sets with the regulars of Rikkai Dai High's girl's tennis team."

The moment his words die out, the courts are bustling with activity. The regulars drop what they were doing and rush towards the court, excited gleams in their eyes at the prospect of playing their female counterparts. Even they acknowledge the strength of Kita Aiko's team.

After all, quite a few of them have gotten their asses handed back to them on the court after doubting the skill of said girls in the past.

Meanwhile, the Three Monsters of Rikkai Dai head towards the clubroom silently, contemplating the upcoming matches. Yanagi is calculating the best set ups so as to benefit both sides, Sanada is still puzzling over his friends' strange curiosity towards the blind new girl, and Yukimura is already beginning to plan out his match with Kita step-by-step.

After they quickly change into their jerseys and gather their tennis gear, they head back out, entering Court A. The regulars of both teams are already standing in a loose semi-circle around Kita and her fukubuchou, Maki Ryoka. Maki is a taller than average girl with lanky limbs and a willowy body who, in contrast to Kita's often serious and formal behavior, boasts a wild, robust attitude that works well with Niou's own mien. When the two of them team up, not even Yukimura can confidently say that he won't be pranked.

Fortunately for him-or for those two, really-both Maki and Niou are smart enough to avoid doing such a thing.

Yukimura and Sanda step up to stand next to Kita and Maki as Yanagi slips into the circle, but not before slipping a sheet of paper into Yukimura's hands. Yukimura unfolds it and nods in approval upon seeing the pairings listed on it.

Kita clears her throat, and the group immediately silences. No one wants to get on Kita's bad side. Not even Yukimura or Fuji ever want to see an angry Kita Aiko. "As Seiichi has said, we will all be participating in several impromptu matches. I want to measure my girls' improvement since the beginning of school and the end of the last school year, and believe that having us play matches with you all would be the best way to do so. I assume that Renji has already drawn up the matches and given them to you, Seiichi?"

A few chuckles fill the air as Yanagi freezes slightly before calmly flipping a few pages, most likely to write down some more data about Kita. Yukimura also laughs, handing the sheet of paper over to her. "Nothing escapes your eyes, Aiko-san."

Kita accepts to slip, running her eyes over the matches. She nods approvingly as well before answering, "Renji is rather predictable. For all of his perception, it is much easier to read him than for him to read any of us."

Yanagi frowns, his pencil stopping for a moment. Kita, noticing his displeasure, hurries onwards, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "All right, the following pairings will be playing one full set, and no switching!"

A few moans and groans accompany her announcement, but she ignores them in favor of reading the matches aloud. "Niou-Yagyuu pair versus Maki-Mori pair on the last court."

Niou and Maki exchange challenging smirks. He saunters up to her, clasping her hand in a tight, bone-crushing grip. She only grins back at him, tightening her own grip on his hand until both of their hands are white from the cut off of circulation. "Good luck, puri."

"I should be saying that to you, Rat Man."

"Unsexy Girl."

"Rodent Teeth."

"Flat Board."

Maki gasps, eyes narrowing on Niou. "You-"

"Hai, hai, let's save the fighting for the match, Ryo-chan." Maki's double's partner, Mori Kaori, and the only girl who could possibly control the fukubuchou appears behind Maki, gently prying the two away from each other. Maki sends a venomous glare towards Nious, who merely sticks his tongue out at her and replies cheekily, "Puri."

Maki trembles in anger, her black eyes practically burning a hole into Niou's back as he and Yagyuu head over to the far court. "Ooh, that boy pisses me off so much!"

Mori rolls her own dark brown eyes, moving to follow her opponents. "Well, look on the bright side, Ryo-chan. If he called you 'flat board,' it meant he was looking, right?"

Maki's jaw drops and her entire face turns bright red. "I-I-Kaori, how the hell is that supposed to be on the bright side?" she shrieks, running after her doubles partner.

Kita merely sighs at her team's antics before glancing back down at the paper and reading off the next pairing. "Jackal-Marui pair versus the Sasaki twins."

As one, the two Sasakis stand up. As identical twins, they look like exact carbon copies of each other, from the build of their slender bodies to the tennis gear currently on them to the freckles the lightly dust across their tanned noses. The only thing that saves someone from making the mistake of substituting one for another is the fact that their attitudes are polar opposites.

Sasaki Mika is bubbling and outgoing and has a love for all things cute. She has no qualms about expressing her thoughts and opinions, no matter who stupid or brainless they seem.

Meanwhile, Saski Miki is quiet and reserved. She opens up to very few, and once she does, she tends to stay closed unless pushed even further.

Even with their differences, the two are always stuck to the hip. Where one is, another will be. Such is the bond between them.

And that bond is what makes them such valuable tennis players. As a doubles team, the idea of synchro was never far off to them, not even when they first began tennis years ago, in their first few years of elementary school. Right now, they're the only female doubles team in the entire high school circuit that has achieved synchro to the level they have gone to.

It's said that only the Golden Pair of Seigaku could even think of competing with the bond the Sasakis share during synchro.

One of the girls-no one knows who it is, since the two have a habit of impersonating each other to throw their opponents off-leans forward, a bright smile pulling her lips up. "Bunta!" she cheers, wiggling her fingers at him. "Good luck! You're going to need it!"

The other twin stands to the side, watching impassively.

Marui swallows and glances at Jackal, who looks a little nervous. "I never wanted to play with you guys again!" he whines, pouting at Kita and Yukimura, as if his puppy dog eyes would actually work. A glint of amusement enters Kita's eyes as she merely raises a hand and points at the court right next to where Niou, Yagyuu, Maki, and Mori are already playing.

"Go."

Still whining, Marui reluctantly drags his feet, an amused Jackal following him as the Sasaki who seems to be Mika (or Miki, it's a mystery, in all honesty) bounces around the two, the Sasaki who seems to be Miki following at a much more sedate pace.

Kita glances down at her sheet again, lightly smirking as she reads out the next pair. "Kirihara versus Ueda."

Kirihara's eyes bulge out and he immediately jumps away, wildly shaking his head. "Nu-uh. I am _not_ playing that-that _monster_!"

Ueda scowls at him. Her hands tighten around her racket, and her eyes narrow dangerously. "Bakaya..." she practically growls, her voice promising a painful death towards the junior ace of Rikkai Dai's boy's tennis team. "You used to play the exact same tennis!"

"Which is why I don't want to play you!"

"Akaya."

Yukimura's smooth voice cuts through Kirihara's complaints, and he immediately freezes, slowly turning in fear towards his buchou.

"Ah...buchou?" Sheepishly chuckling, Kirihara reaches up and lightly rubs the back of his head.

"Is there a problem with this arrangement?"

Quickly shaking his head, Kirihara takes off in the direction of the third court, his wailing sounding long after he left the group. Ueda sighs in disgust and stalks towards him, her hand on her racket clenching and unclenching.

A moment later, Kirihara's scream pierces the air and Ueda's scream of, "I'll dye the court red!" sends chills down everyone's spines.

"Well..." Kita sweatdrops before turning her attention back to the piece of paper in her hand. "And last of all, Fukui versus Yanagi, me versus Yukimura. Sorry, Sanada, it seems that you will have to sit this practice out."

Sanada nods in response to her words and, despite the fact that he is obviously upset, graciously moves off the courts and towards the benches along the sides of the court. As he does, he finally notices that Angela is sitting on one of them, her smiling face turned towards the group.

Sensing his approach, she raises her head even further and gently greets him. "Konnichiwa, Geni."

Sanada's brow twitches. " _Geni_?"

Angela raises an eyebrow in response. Paired with her closed eyes and that infernally calm smile, a sort of eerie effect is created. "Is there something wrong with that? I did warn your class that I would be using shortened versions of all of your names...oh, was I being too presumptuous?"

Sanada blinks at the torrent of words that just came out of her mouth, all coated with a heavy helping of sarcasm, but she did notice her wrong, so... "You were, but it's all right as long as you understand-"

"You weren't in my class, were you? Well, I'm so sorry about that. I'll be calling you Geni from now on, okay?"

A muscle feathers along his jaw, and he has the sudden urge to bitch slap her and shout "TARUNDORU," in her face, but even he has limits. He won't lay a hand on a female, no matter how infuriating and rude she is. "I do not think that-"

"Shh." Sanada can only stare in shock as Angela slaps her hand over his mouth, effectively cutting him off. "They're starting. I need to listen."

With that last sentence, Sanada immediately sits back. He practically bitch slaps himself-in his mind, though. How could he have forgotten that the girl in front of him is actually blind?

Maybe because he spends so much time with Fuji, but, still...

"Kita to serve!"

Sanada twists around in her hold, and Angela drops her arm, leaning forward as she does so. When he glances down at her face, he's once again surprised by her-this time, by the look of intense concentration on her face.

He's starting to see what both Yanagi and Yukimura saw ages before him...

* * *

Yukimura watches Kita from across the court. Ever since the two met in their first year of high school, they've had monthly friendly practice matches with each other. He, of all people, know just how hard a game Kita plays when serious.

And when facing him, the number one girl tennis player in the entirety of Japan's high school circuits is _always_ serious.

"Shall we continue from our score last time?" Yukimura asks Kita, knowing that with her sharpened hearing, she'd be able to hear him from across the distance.

Kita laughs, getting into standard position. He notes the angles of her knees, her arms, the tilt of her head, even something so seemingly mundane as the positioning of her fingers across her racket handle. A master at deception, Kita's tennis is never exactly what it seems. Much like Yanagi and Inui of Seigaku, she plays a sort of analyzing tennis, but a different style. Instead of analyzing her opponent, she analyzes _herself_ , taking every little thing she does into account and dissecting it, breaking her motions and actions, even her own breathing patterns, into their basic components before rebuilding them from scratch. In that way, she is able to control her own body to an extent that, admittedly, scares even Yukimura.

But even in such a seemingly perfect facade, there has to be a crack somewhere.

"It's no use, Seiichi!" she calls, even as she throws the ball into the air and bends her knees. "My Facade tennis is impenetrable!"

The face of her racket connects with the fuzzy yellow ball with a resounding _smack_ , and Yukimura's eyes trace its path as it pierces through the air, aiming to land in the corner of the service box.

 _Her serve has gotten faster, but, too bad for her..._

Yukimura easily hits the ball back with a smooth forehand, using Kita's own force against her. "We don't know until we try, ne?"

As the rally continues, Yukimura says something every few hits, most having to do with their previous matches. Kita, finally far more pissed than she could give him credit for, executes one of her sealed (meant for those who she deemed worthy enough) moves: "Fade."

Yukimura keeps his eyes on the ball as it heads back to him. He had noticed the glint in Kita's eyes-no matter how impeccable her control over her body is, her control over her own emotions is shaky at best. His guess was that she had finally decided to pull a trick out of that bottomless hat of hers, and he was right.

Just as the ball enters his court, a cloud passes over the sun. Normally, this wouldn't affect Yukimura all too much, but for a moment, the ball seems to shimmer, to waver. That moment is more than enough of a distraction, and when the cloud leaves, the ball is sitting on the ground on the advantage side of the court, the complete opposite way of where he had been heading.

A few surprised gasps and shocked exclamations erupt from the crowd of non-regulars and students who had come to witness the incredible clashing of the two National-level tennis teams of Rikkai Dai. Uso...the Child of God...lost the first ball?

"15-love!"

Yukimura, not at all bothered by his loss, turns his smiling face towards Kita. She stares grimly back at him, that glint in her eyes giving her away.

"Ah, yes...I believe we ended at the tiebreaker at that time, correct? Let's continue, Aiko-san."

* * *

Even as Yukimura and Kita battle it out on the first court, four more just as incredible matches are playing out on the other courts of Court A. When Sanada glances to his left, where Angela sits on the bench, he finds himself pleasantly surprised (once again, what is it wih this girl and surprising him?) at seeing her focusing, not on Yukimura's match, but on the matches behind him.

As if sensing the weight of his gaze on her, she reaches out and lightly tugs Sanada's tennis jersey. "Ne, Geni."

Swallowing his surprise, he replies gruffly, "Hmm?"

"Can you take me to the other side? I want to listen to the doubles matches."

Sanada nods, but quickly freezes in shock once he remembers again that she's blind. "H-hai."

And so Sanada finds himself gently leading Angela safely around the courts, trying to ignore the looks his teammates who should be focusing on their own matches send him-not to mention the stares of the people surrounding the courts.

Really...what a troublesome girl she is.

Once the two finally reach the other side, Angela immediately lets go of his arm and heads directly for the referee chair. As she leaves him, she turns around only to widen her smile at him.

Sanada ends up staring after her stupidly, even as she somehow manages to replace the second year who had been the referee for the Niou-Yagyuu and Maki-Mori match.

 _Seriously?_

* * *

 **Wooh, about 4,500 words (maybe a bit over)! Hope the wait was worth it! Next chapter will be a little continuation of this one-more tennis matches, a conclusion of Yukimura-Kita, and maybe a little more!**

 **Also, if there are any pairings you guys want for this story, please comment them! I'm open for almost anything: yaoi, yuri, straight, etc. Although I'm not sure if I'll be able to write any polygamy type relationships, but I'll consider it if enough of you guys want it.**

 **Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!**

 **Never (LivingDaLife)**


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